Out of Reach
by fallingsnow6136
Summary: Keith not arriving to help his fellow Paladins in battle leads to a tragic loss that he can't repair even if he wants to. Tragedy, heartbreak, broken friendships. AU of Season 4 Episode 1.


_Hey there everyone! I am the weirdest person alive to make one of my first entries into this fandom a tragedy, which is a genre I've never actually seriously written before or at least that I can remember but this is an AU of S4 Episode 1. Shiro is unable to pilot the Black Lion and Keith doesn't make it back in time. Thank you so much to __**Sunshine-hime **__for betareading this one-shot and making it awesome. I really appreciate it._

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The mission for the Blade of Marmora had been a success. That was good. But something was wrong. Somehow, Keith could feel it. The other Paladins had just been helping out with a mission so what could have happened? Despite knowing he'll get chewed out by Kolivan for not making his mission report first he rushed back to the Castle of Lions and the hanger doors opened to let him in. All the Lions were in the hanger and for some reason Yellow's barrier was up. That feeling of wrong was worse now.

Keith checked around the ship for his teammates. Starting in the lounge, bridge, and kitchen before he went to the med bay. At first, all he could see was Lance, Shiro, Pidge, Allura and Coran all glaring at him, which he supposed he understood because he hadn't gotten back in time. He realized Hunk was missing, then looked past the group to see him in a healing pod, dressed in a cryosuit and face sheet white. Oh no. As he stepped in further, the alarm beeped, but it was different somehow. Wrong. And he saw a limp Hunk fall out of a healing pod. Keith quickly lunged forward, catching his friend's body. It felt so cold to touch - what had happened? He gently knelt the body down to the floor, a sharp gasp from Allura catching his attention, looking up to see both her and Coran looking horrified.

"What? What is it?" Keith immediately asked, and he stood up, hands clammy as their faces.

"Allura, what's going on?" Lance asked quickly, turning away from glaring at Keith to look at her as her expression became saddened. Coran brought up the information on a large screen. It was in Altean but even Keith knew all that red text was bad news.

"The pod is showing Hunk's vitals as completely failed," Allura said, voice cracking as she spoke these words. "I'm afraid he can't be healed because he's…" She trailed off, unable to finish that sentence but from her expression, Keith could tell what she was going to say. No one said anything, the words sinking in. Then a loud wail rang through the room and Keith realized it came from _Lance_. He never heard him sound like that before. Like he was in agony. Shiro turned pale, then Pidge ran to Hunk as well, tears in her eyes too.

"What?!" Keith said, standing back up. "What are you talking about?" He knew he was yelling over Lance's cries but he can't stop. "Hunk can't be dead! He's just really badly hurt. Just put him back in the pod and -" He was unable to continue that sentence as a blow suddenly hit him directly in the face, making his head spin from the force of the blow. A cold chill enveloped him as he locked eyes with a furious Lance, who had punched him.

"You," Lance began furiously. "What was the point of coming now when you're the reason my best friend is, is -" Lance cut off and he sobbed, tears in his eyes as he looked down at Hunk for a moment. "Go back to the Blades, why don't you?"

"Lance," Keith began but immediately shut up, unable to form the words to say. Nothing he said would bring Hunk back. Nothing he did now would take back what had already happened. _God dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen. Shiro should have been able to pilot the Black Lion and Voltron should have been reformed. Hunk, please. Please wake up. I won't leave again. Please just give me one more chance. Come on, buddy. _He felt himself sink to his knees, staring down at the body, somehow silently willing for Hunk to open his eyes. His eyes remained closed however and Keith knew that those eyes would never open again. Just like Dad, Hunk would never come back either.

"Lance is right," Pidge's voice cut in. "Why are you here now, Keith? Hunk's _gone! _He's dead now. We lost our friend and we lost Voltron. You coming back isn't going to reform it. And maybe we don't want it to." Her tone was less furious than Lance's somehow but it was still cold and he couldn't blame her. They couldn't form Voltron without Hunk and unlike him, Hunk hadn't abandoned his team, he had died fighting with them.

He wanted to apologise to them, say something, do something - anything he could to make up for what he had cost them but he couldn't. The only thing that could make up for what he did would be bringing Hunk back to life and he didn't hold that kind of power.

"Keith," Shiro said and the disappointment in his voice made Keith visibly flinch back.

"Shiro, I…" Keith's words choked in on himself and he bowed his head. His eyes were stinging but he couldn't cry. He wouldn't cry, he didn't deserve to. He was the worst leader ever, the reason they had lost Hunk's life.

"Keith, I always supported your decision to help the Blade of Marmora on their missions," Shiro said seriously. "But not at the cost of Voltron. Not at the cost of your friends."

"Friends? What friends?" Lance snapped before Keith could even try to reply. "I don't think Keith's ever considered any of us his friends." A bitter laugh escaped him. "I guess what they say about the Galra is true. They don't have friends, only weapons."

There was a part of Keith that wanted to lash back out, to tell Lance that he had never meant for any of this to happen, that he had never wanted Hunk to die but one look at the body on the floor made him curl into himself even further. He didn't even have the strength to move, to get up and leave because the others didn't want him here anymore. Even Shiro...even Shiro wasn't sticking up for him - not that he could blame the other. _I wouldn't even stick up for me if I was him. I told you, Shiro. I told you I couldn't be your successor. _

He buried his face in his knees, wanting to block out all the accusatory stares and the harshness of Lance's words to him. He deserved every single one of them lashing out at him but that didn't mean it didn't sting. He had torn apart his friends - no, he had torn apart his family and there was nothing he could do to piece it back together. He didn't know how long he had sat there, curled into himself. He didn't hear anyone speaking anymore and wondered if they had all moved to grieve over Hunk or just decided he wasn't worth bothering with anymore. He didn't want to look up to check if his feelings were correct, but was forced to all of a sudden when he felt a sharp pull at his arm, looking up. It was Lance, the same overwhelming fury from earlier directed at him as he tugged at his arm.

"L-Lance?" Keith asked, voice quiet and almost meek.

"Get out of here," Lance said harshly. "Let us bury our friend in peace and just go. No one wants you here anymore."

"Lance-" Shiro began but Keith pulled his arm away from Lance, standing up.

"I-I know it doesn't change anything, but I-" Keith couldn't continue. He couldn't apologise for something he couldn't change. Sorry wouldn't bring back anyone - it wouldn't change anything. He stepped back, taking one look at the body of his fallen friend before turning tail and running. He didn't know where he was going - he didn't even know where he could go. One thing was for sure though, he was never coming back. It was over.


End file.
